Orthopedic bed



H. J. BROBECK ORTHOPEDIC BED Aug. 30, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 31, 1956 INVENTOR. HERMAN J. Bzoascx ATTORNEY Aug. 30, 1960 H. J. BROBECK 2,950,715

ORTHOPEDIC BED Filed Dec. 31, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. HERMAN J. BFZosEcK 1960 H. J. BROBECK 2,950,715

ORTHOPEDIC BED Filed Dec. 31, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 G3 INVENTOR.

a3 87 so i ATTORNEY HERMAN J. BIZOBECK United States Patent @liice Patented Aug. 30, 1960 ORTHGPEDIQ BED Herman I. Broheclr, 4, Box 220, Valparaiso, Ind.

Filed Dec. 31, 1356, Ser. No. 631,630

Claims. (Cl. 128-71) The invention relates generally to orthopedic bed equipment and more particularly is directed to a machine and/ or method which is primarily adapted to condition or exercise the back of a human body.

One important object of the invention is to provide a machine which serves to improve and strengthen the backs of those persons afilicted with different forms of rheumatism, sacroiliac, multiple sclerosis and the like. More specifically, in this regard, provision is made for mechanically stretching and twisting the body in order to loosen tight bone joints, tendons and muscles and reactivate and condition them for normal use.

The machine embodying the invention comprises, among other things, a yieldable or flexible bed for the body, means for flexing the bed to twist the lower extremity of the body in opposite directions with respect to its upper extremity and means for stretching the body while it is being twisted. The machine also includes a pair of supports for supporting the ends of the bed, and means carried by the supports ridable on tracks so that the bed may move in opposite directions in response to the action of the stretching and twisting means.

A particular object of the invention is to provide unique means for stretching the body which comprises harnesses or holding means for the arms and head of the body and a harness for the waist, and a lever connected to the waist harness and oscillated by suitable power means. The harnesses for the arms and head are preferably individually and resiliently supported so that when the stretching means is operated these harnesses will assist in separately and/ or jointly resiliently stretching the body and/ or neck and at the same time act in conjunction with the waist harness.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a machine having a head rest, a leg rest, means for adjusting the rests to level operative positions or depending inoperative positions, and means carried by the head rest and the Waist harness whereby the harnesses can be readily adjusted to bodies of diiierent lengths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a power means preferably comprising an electric motor and a speed reducing mechanism and improved means for respectively operatively connecting the reducing mechanism with the lever and the bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine in which provision is made for normally maintaining the bed in a horizontal position and for urging it toward the head rest.

Additional objects are to provide a machine which afiords advantages with respect to portability and storage, manufacture and assembly, durability and efficiency in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the machine will be come apparent after the description hereinafter set forth is considered in conjunction with the drawings annexed hereto.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view exemplifying the machine with a body superimposed thereon;

Figure 2 is an elevational side view of the machine showing the head and leg rests in folded positions;

Fi ure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 33 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is an elevational end view of the machine;

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 55 of Figure 3 showing the bed in a horizontal position;

Figure 6 is a vertical section similar to Figure 5, depicting the bed in a twistedor tilted position;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a rack for supporting the harnesses for the arms and head;

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially on line S8 of Figure 3;

Figure 9 is an enlarged partial horizontal sectional view showing the manner of mounting the support for the head end of the bed on tracks;

Figure 10 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view illustrating additional structure for mounting the support for the head of the bed;

Figure ll is a view similar to Figure 10 depicting means for mounting on the track means the support for the oppos e extremity of the bed;

Figure l2 is an enlarged perspective view showing whereby the stroke of the linkage assembly conhe power means and bed may be adjusted to vary terally to the machine exemplified in the eral 1 generally designates an elongated fi able bed for a human body. The bed is su a its ends by upstanding supports generally do 2 an 3 which are mounted on tracks 4 for lona movem t. The machine also includes a head res .5, a leg rest 6, a rack 7, a pair of harnesses 8 for connection with the arms of a body and rack and a harness 9 1? connection with the head and rack, a plunger it), mov 316 means preferably in the form of a lever 11 pivot d on the plunger, a harness 12 for attachment to he LL and the waist of the body, power means 13, an arm assembly 14 operatively connected to the lever and power means so that when the power means is operated, the lever will be oscillated to periodically pull the lower part of a body in one direction to stretch it, and a linkage assembly 15 operatively connected to the bed i and power means in a manner whereby to tilt or rock the bed and thereby twist the body during the peliods it is being stretched.

All of the above described components and others which will be referred to subsequently are carried by a generally rectangular frame which preferably includes a pair of comer posts 16 and 17 at the foot end of the machine and a pair of corresponding corner posts 18 and 19 at the head end. The frame also includes a pair of lower longitudinal extending side rails 20 and 21 which are respectively secured to the posts 16 and 17 and/or the side rails; upper and lower end rails 24 and 25 secured to the posts 18 and 1?; and a pair of longitudinally extending upper closely associated rails which are secured to the upper end rails 22 and and constitute the tracks 4 above referred to, all serving to provide a substantial or stable framework for supporting the operating components of the machine. The machine is preferably provided with casters, as shown, to facilitate maneuverability of the machine.

The frame is preferably provided with an internal relatively large formation having a bottom wall 26 bearing on the lower side rails 2t and 21 and a pair of upturned end walls 27 and 28. The frame and formation are preferably substantially enclosed by a pair of side panels 29 and fill and end panels 31 and 32 which are suitably secured in place in order that the formation, in combination with the side panels, form a chamber 33 or ca inet for storage with doors 34 affording access thereto. T panels are preferably provided with upwardly exteinclined continuations which bear on the upper pair of side rails or tracks 4 as clearly depicted in Figures 1, 5, 6 and 8. The upper extremities of the end panels are preferably inturned to bear horizontally ver ically against the posts and cooperate with the inclined nt uations of the side panels to reenforce ant. further co 263.1 the frame and thereby promote the general ali are .d ap pearance of the machine. It will be noted that the side panels and the end panels and the end wall 27 of the formation form an enclosure within which the power means 13 is located. The motor is preferably firmly mounted on a platform 35 carried by the lower side rails of the frame and disposed in the enclosure.

The machine is preferably provided with the head and leg rests and 6 as above alluded to. These rests may be designed and constructed in various ways but as exemplified in the drawings, they are respectively hingedly connected to the upper end extremities of the machine so they can be adjusted to their horizontal operative positions as best illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, or to depen ing positions alongside the ends of the machine as shown in Figure 2 to reduce the overall length of the machine for convenience in storing the harnesses, fittings and/or other paraphernalia when the machine is not in use.

The head rest 5 is preferably provided with a tubulm guide 36 at its under side for slidably supporting the rack 7. The rack is preferably L-shaped and includes a shank 37 slidably in the guide and an upturned leg having a cross beam 38 provided with a pair of outer hooks 39 for connection with the arm harnesses S and an inner pair of hooks 40 for the head harness 9. A set screw 4; is preferably carried by the guide 36 for securing the rack in any adjusted position desired. Pairs of pivotally connected links 42 are pivoted to the rest and machine to facilitate adjustment of the rest to either the horizontal or depending positions above referred to.

The leg rest 6 is supported on the machine for adjustment in substantially the same manner as the head rest and is provided with a guide 43 at its lower side within which the plunger is reciprocally mounted and normally urged inwardly by a helical spring 44. The outer end of the plunger is preferably bifurcated to receive the lever 11 pivotally mounted thereon as indicated at 45'. The plunger is also provided with projections which cooperate with abutments on the guide to normally hold the plunger in a non-rotative position in the guide and thereby stabilize its position. The upper end of the lever extends above the leg rest and is provided with a fastener or hook 46 which is preferably adapted for reception in the eye of a pulley 47 which is connectible with the harness 12 for the waist of the body. This harness and harnessesS and 9 will be described in detail subsequently. Conductors (not shown) are employed to connect the motor to a source of electricity and a manual switch 54 is mounted on the front'side panel as shown in Figure l for controlling the operation of the motor.

The arm unit 14 includes a pair of rods 55 and 56 which are threadedly connected together as indicated in Figures 3 and 13 for varying the length of the arm. The outer end of the rod 55 is preferably provided with an offset threaded end 57 which extends through a hole provided therefor in the lower end of the lever 11 and is detachably secured thereto by a wing nut 53. A washer, as shown, may be mounted on the ofiset between the lever and rod to promote stability of the connection between the rod and lever. The arm unit is preferably constructed as described so that the rods 55 and 56 can also be detached from one another to permit the leg rest to be moved to a depending position. More specifically in this respect, the rod 55 is detached from the rod 56 and lever 11, whereupon the plunger 16 and lever are manually pulled out- Wardly against the force of the spring 44 to release the projections on the plunger from the abutments on the guide and then rotated so they Will take the positions shown in Figure 2 when he rest is lowered.

The power means 13 and mode of operatively connectthe arm unit 14 to the lower extremity of the lever 11 will now be described. The power ineans preferably includes an electric motor 48 and a speed reducing mechasm 49 provided with a pair of drive shafts 56 and 51 'ng cranks 52 and 53 respectively fixed thereon for operating at different speeds. The drive shaft 5'9 which actuates the lever is rotated at a predetermined rate of speed, preferably twice that of the rate of the other drive shaft 51 which operates the bed through the linkage 15.

The bed 1 for the body may be designed and constructed in various ways but as depicted, is preferably comprised of a pair of corresponding parallel substantially rigid rods 59 and a plurality of corresponding slats or cross-members 66. The slats are preferably tubular and generally oval in cross-section and provided with transverse openings through which the rods extend. The rods are mounted on bars 61 and 62 of the supports 2 and 3, the latter of which are rockably or pivotally mounted on a centrally disposed longitudinally extending shaft 63. The ends of the rods are preferably detachably connected to the bars 61 and 62 by pairs of ball and socket members. More specifically in this regard, those ends of the rods adjacent the head of the machine are preferably threadedly connected to a pair of socket members 64, one of which is clearly depicted in Figure 10. Each socket is internally threaded at one end to receive a rod and internally threaded at its other end to receive a threaded plug 65 for pivotally holding the ball of a member 66 in the socket. The members 66 are preferably provided with threaded shanks which extend downwardly through holes in the bar 62, with nuts 67 connecting with the shanks to detachably secure the members in place. The lower portion of each socket is preferably slotted as indicated at 68 to permit assembly of the members 64 and 66. Abutments preferably in the form of discs 69 may be disposed in each socket on opposite sides of the ball for receiving the thrust therefrom. These particular ball and socket members serve to pivotally connect the head extremity of the bed to the bar 62 and prevent axial movement of the bed relative to the bar and support 3.

The opposite ends of the rods 59 of the bed are connected to the bar 61 of the support 2 by socket members 70 which receive balls of members 71, the latter being detachably secured to the bar in the same manner as the members 66 are attached to the bar 62. The sockets 70 are each provided with a longitudinal slot 72 to facilitate entry of the ball into the socket and afford a setup whereby the socket members may slide and/or pivot relative to the balls on members 71 so that that extremity of the bed attached to the bar 61 of the support 2 may be flexed as twisted in opposite directions from its normal level position by the speed reducing mechanism 49 through the agency of the linkage assembly 15. This linkage assembly, as best shown in Figures 6 and 12, preferably includes a fitting 73 preferably pivotally connected adjacent one extremity of the bar 61, a fitting 74 pivotally connected to the crank 52 on the drive shaft 51, and an elongated link 75 having its ends respectively pivoted to the fittings 73 and '74. The fitting 74 is preferably adjustably connected to the crank by providing the crank with a dovetail slot for slidably receiving a block 75 carrying a shaft on which the fitting 74 is pivotally mounted and held by a nut 76. A screw 77 is threadedly connected to the block and the crank for adjustably securing the block in place and so that the effective length of the linkage assembly may be modified to vary its strokes and thereby control the oscillating range of the bed. Y

It will be noted by referring to Figure 3 that the bed is shorter than the distance between the head and leg rests, somewhat closer to the head rest and that its upper surface is preferably disposed a desirable distance below the upper surfaces of the rests, so as to support the body in a substantially natural position with the convex surfaces of the slats supporting the torso of the body. As illustrated in Figure l, a pad and pillow may be respectively placed on the bed and head rest. Pads and/or pillows of different thicknesses are employed for properly adjusting the body with respect to the bed and rests for treatment by the machine.

The mode of mounting the supports 2 and 3 on the longitudinal shaft 63 will now be described. The support 3 is preferably tubular and includes a horizontal cylindrical tube 79 as shown in Figures 8 and 10. This tube surrounds the shaft 63 and its opposite ends are rotatably mounted thereon by ball bearing units 80 as shown in Figures 9 and 10. One end of the shaft 63 is threaded and extends through the base wall of a generally U-shaped bracket 81 and is secured thereto by a nut 32 on the shaft. The side walls of the bracket carry wheels or rollers 83 which are supported in the upper longitudinally extending side rails constituting the tracks 4 in a manner whereby the shaft, bracket, support 3 and bed may ride back and forth on the tracks. The side walls of the member are preferably provided with upwardly extending outturned arms 84 having openings at their extremities. Rods 85 are operatively connected to the bar and the arms 84 by pivotally connecting oflset inner ends of the rods to the bar and their outer ends through the openings in the arms for slidable movement therein. Helical springs 86 surround the rods for engagement with the offset ends of the rods and the arms for normally resiliently maintaining the extremity of the bed adjacent the head rest in a normal level or horizontal position while allowing some rocking, pivotal movement or automatic adjustment thereof when the bed is operated.

The opposite end of the shaft 63 is also threaded and extends through the base wall of a bracket 87 and is secured thereto by a nut 88 on the shaft. The side walls of this bracket are similarly provided with wheels or rollers 89 which ride on the upper side rails or tracks 4. The support 2 carrying the bar 61 is preferably tubular and includes a horizontal cylindrical tube 99 similar to the tube 79. The ends of the tube 90 are also similarly rotatably supported on the shaft 63 by ball bearing units $1 as depicted in Figures 3 and 11. A washer is preferably carried by the shaft and interposed between the inner ends of the tubes. A relatively long helical spring 92 has one end connected to a hook on the inner end of the tube 79 and its other end connected to the upper end rail 24 as shown in Figure 3 to normally urge the bed toward the head rest to counteract shifting of the bed in the opposite direction when the bed and lever are operated and thereby maintain the bed in proper supporting relationship to the body. A stop S is also preferably connected to the end rail 24 for engagement by the nut 82 to limit movement of the bed toward the head rest to the position shown in Figure 10.

in view of the above setup, it will be apparent that the bed for the body is normally maintained in a horizontal position and for longitudinal sliding and tilting movements in opposite directions on the tracks, as exemplified in Figures 3 and 6. In other words, the arrangement is referably such that the body is stretched by the lever as the body is twisted by the bed in opposite directions about its longitudinal axis.

Th harnesses S, 9 and 12 may be designed and constructed as desired and will now be described. The pair harnesses 8 for the arms of the body are identical and each preferably includes a U-shaped pad 93 for placement in the pit of each arm, a loop of rope 94 or the equivalent, overlying the pad, and connected to a helical spring 95, which in turn is attached to an outer hook 39 carried by the rack '7 The harness 9 for the head preferably includes a padded collar 96 for the neck, a pair of straps 97 straddling the head which are attached to the collar and rings 98. The rings are attached to helical springs 99 which in turn are respectively connected to the inner pair of hooks 40. These harnesses, through the agency of the springs, serve to cushion or exert resilient forces to the upper part of the body and/ or the head when the lever or mounting 11 is oscillated.

The harness 12 for the waist of a body preferably includes a belt 100, a pair of upper straps 101 and a. pair of lower straps 1452 for straddling the body, rings 103 and 104 respectively attached to the pairs of straps, a rope l105 or the equivalent having one end attached to the lower ring 104- and a length extending through the pulley 47 and the upper ring 103, and a clamp 106 connected to those portions of the rope extending from the ring 103, for conveniently adjusting the harness to the waist and in relation to the stroke of the lever 11, twisting of the bed and tensions produced by the harnesses 8 and 9.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that when a body is placed on the bed and held in relation thereto by the harnesses and the bed is tilted in opposite directions from its normal horizontal position, the body will be stretched between the arm and head harnesses 8 and 9 at one extremity of the machine and the waist harness 12 at the opposite extremity of the machine during the periods the bed is tilted. With this unique organization,

the back of the body is subjected to the kneading or massaging action of the convex surfaces of the slats 60 while the body is being stretched and twisted. It is desirable that the body be placed in a taut or stretched condition, tending to separate and loosen some of the joints slightly in advance of or during the twisting action. The machine has proven very practical and useful in alleviating the back conditions above referred to and in reactivating a body in general.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of the invention, and, therefore, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. A machine of the kind described comprising a frame, track means carried by the frame, a pair of supports mounted for movement on the track means, at least one of said supports being rockable, a bed comprising a pair of rods having their ends connected to the supports for movement relative to the supports, a plurality of slats carried by the rods, oscillable means provided adjacent one extremity of the machine for attachment to a human body, and power means operatively connected to the oscillable means and the rockable support for operating same.

2. An elongated machine of the kind described comprising a frame provided with a stationary head rest and a stationary leg rest, a support mounted adjacent one end of the machine and a movable support mounted adjacent the other end of the machine, said supports being located between said rests, an elongated yieldable bed having only its ends attached to the supports, power means, and means operatively connecting the power means and the movable support for moving the support to impart movement to the bed.

3. An elongated machine of the kind described comprising an elongated mounting, a pair of supports, each of said supports having a lower horizontal part independently journalled on the mounting and a vertical part provided with an upper horizontal bar, a bed having its extremities attached to the bars, resilient means for normally maintaining one extremity of the bed in a substantially horizontal position, resilient means for normally urging one of the supports in one direction, and power means operatively connected to the other support for imparting a tilting movement to the other extremity of the 7 7 bed to assist in twisting a body adapted for disposition thereon.

4. An elongated machine of the kind described comprising an elongated inflexible mounting, a pair of supports, each of said supports having a lower horizontal part independently journalled on the mounting and a vertical part provided with an upper horizontal bar, a bed for a body, said bed having its extremities attached to the bars, and power means operatively connected to one of the supports for moving it to impart a rocking movement to the bed and a body when placed thereon.

5. The machine defined in claim 4, including stationary mountings at the ends of the machine and harnesses carried thereby for attachment to opposed extremities of a body, and automatic means operatively connecting one of 15 2,473,337

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,280,987 Gregory Oct. 8, 1918 1,286,027 Koenigramer Nov. 26, 1918 1,410,476 Keane Mar. 21, 1922 1,686,979 McManis Oct. 9, 1928 1,936,353 Murray Nov. 21, 1935 2,076,675 Sharp Apr. 13, 1937 2,262,271 De Camp Nov. 11, 1941 Strasser et a1 Aug. 9, 1949 

